How high can you go? When the first mass-market battery-electric vehicles debuted a decade ago they barely managed 100 miles per charge. Today, 200 to 300 miles has become the norm, with some manufacturers pushing to 400 miles and above. But a suburban Detroit startup claims it will push well beyond those numbers using an “experimental battery” it has developed.
Our Next Energy Inc., more commonly called ONE, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show it has demonstrated a “proof-of-concept” battery that logged 752 miles without charging. The company claims a third-party tester, using a dynamometer to validate the results, actually got 882 miles at a steady 55 mph.
“We want to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by eliminating range anxiety, which holds back most consumers today,” said Mujeeb Ijaz, founder and CEO of ONE. “We are now focused on evolving this proof-of-concept battery into a new product called Gemini, which will enable long distance trips on a single charge while improving cost and safety using sustainable materials.”
An unusual approach
With the Gemini technology, ONE takes an unusual approach, combining two different types of batteries in its pack. One uses cobalt and nickel-free cathodes, offering advantages such as lower costs. A second battery design stores significantly more energy and effectively recharges the primary pack as a vehicle is being driven.
The approach is winning over some powerful backers. In October, BMW and a venture firm headed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates came in with $25 million in funding. Other backers include Volta Energy Technologies, which is itself partnered with Argonne National Laboratories.
Prior to launching ONE a little more than a year ago, Ijaz spent 30 years working with Ford Motor Co., Apple and A123 Systems.
The Holy Grail
Coming up with a battery that could deliver exponentially better mileage could be the EV market’s Holy Grail, according to many experts. There’s no question that range is a top priority for motorists, especially considering the relative dearth of high-speed public chargers, said Jasmin Eichler, head of Future Technologies for Mercedes-Benz. The German automaker is also putting in an appearance at CES this week to show off its Vision EQXX, a concept vehicle getting about 625 miles per charge.
There are no immediate plans to put the EQXX into production, but Eichler said a number of innovations used in the show car will make its way onto Mercedes assembly lines. That likely will include the new battery technology the EQXX uses, a silicon-rich cathode that allows it to store significantly more energy than current lithium-ion designs. The show car’s pack is about half the size of a conventional BEV pack and 30% lighter.
When it comes to a production vehicle, the current benchmark is the Lucid Air sedan. The Dream Range edition delivers about 520 miles per charge, according to the EPA.
Part of the problem is that the range listed on a vehicle’s Munroney sticker was developed under ideal conditions. All sorts of things can drive that down, such as towing or carrying heavy loads. According to research by AAA and Consumer Reports, the typical BEV’s range will drop by 40% when temperatures hit 20 degrees Fahrenheit. So, a 250-mile vehicle can suddenly be needing another charge at just over 100 to 150 miles under some conditions.
Driving down costs
The flip side is that batteries aren’t cheap, meaning the larger the pack, the higher the cost. Currently, manufacturers pay about $140 to $150 per kilowatt-hour just for cells. The industry is targeting $75 or less by mid-decade.
ONE has not said what its Gemini batteries will cost.
The company “may seek additional funding and partners” this year, Ijaz told the Reuters last October. It eventually wants to handle the entire production process, from raw materials to finish packs.
